We come back to the sounding of the 7th trumpet. When it sounds "there were loud voices in heaven, which said: 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.'" (Handel set these words to beautiful music in the "Hallelujah Chorus") The 24 elders who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, giving Him thanks and praise. This is the announcement of the coming of God's final victory over Satan. The voices in heaven praise God, and the nations of the earth become angry. v. 18 The end is drawing near when the wicked will be judged and the servants of God ("saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great") will be rewarded. v. 18 We will see the events of v. 18 unfold in the coming chapters.
v. 19 is an assurance of God's faithfulness even in the darkest hours. The ark of the covenant represents the presence of God. Never forget that God is always with us! The lightning, thunder, earthquake and hail stones remind us of God's great, immeasurable power. He is with us, and He has the power to bring about His will in our lives!
Psalm 48
"Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise..."
Zion in the Bible is literally Jerusalem, but it also symbolizes heaven--the Heavenly Zion; the New Jerusalem.
What does this psalm teach us about God?
- He is great! v. 1
- He is worthy of praise! v. 1
- His dwelling place is beautiful. v. 2
- His dwelling place is the joy of the whole earth. v. 2
- He is the Great King. v. 2
- God Himself is Jerusalem's protector. v. 3, 8
- He destroys Israel's enemies. vv. 4-7
- His love is unfailing. v. 9
- His name and His praise reach to the ends of the earth. v. 10
- His right hand is filled with righteousness. v. 10
- His judgments are good and right. v. 11
- He will be our God and our guide for ever. v. 14
No comments:
Post a Comment